[12][13] He joined this latter institution in 1989. Thank you Jason K. You make an excellent point. He also on occasion continued to travel to Asia, such as being present for the official recognition of the LDS Church in Vietnam. But beyond the particulars of Gongs experience, his story has a universal message of normalcy. But you probably didnt know how cool it was. Discover Gerrit W. Gong's Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Because my story is happening publicly at the highest levels of the church, people ascribe extra meaning to it, he says in the interview, but from within the story, it feels like a typical narrative., The apostle and the queer son are just family, Gong repeats. All three parts of Gongs identity have shaped him, including heroic tales of service and sacrifice, and are worth celebrating. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. I have had a testimony of the Church and gospel since I was very young, said Elder Gong. Representation matters. 1. The storyteller and artist came out in defiance of my depression, he says, with a desperate will to survive. He was born in Redwood City, California. :) Hope all is well. Yes, I have the most beautiful grandchildren. Whether or not Brazilians are Latinos is complicated. The churchs rhetoric against such marriages was very strong in the wake of the 1978 revelation, as if SWK wanted to communicate Hey, lets not go crazy with this thing. That attitude has slowly dissipated, but even now its not quite gone. Its most likely that any individual called into the Q12 is pretty socially conservative. A Rhodes Scholar who worked for the U.S. State Department and for the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., Elder Gongs travels have taken him to all seven continents, including living in Asia for more than a decade. He seemed to remember a conversation with someone or something outside of himself that affirmed he was loved. Latter-day Saints across the globe sustained Elder Gong and Elder Ulisses Soares as Apostles during the Saturday morning session of general conference on March 31. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Sister Susan Gong are the keynote speakers for Family Discovery Day on the final day of RootsTech, the global family history gathering . If I were to see him on the street, I would definitely think, (sorry for the non-PC stereotype) white-guy. Sign up for Meridians Free Newsletter, pleaseCLICK HERE. Every member of the Gong family had a special role in the project, from creating the sketch to mixing the paint to organizing the children. They began dating a few years later, in the summer when Gong had returned from Oxford to spend a few weeks with his parents, during a time his father was a BYU professor. The meeting will be available on the Gospel Library app and online in 11 languages beginning A lot of good viewpoints and thoughts. It makes all the difference to know who my family are." My friend muses, "A bent branch does not mean a bad tree. Gerrit W Gong; Education. Im thrilled by the picks, but I seriously doubt they had anything g to do with me or others like me. I believe the Lord uses those who have specific skills to move His church forward.and Sister Gong is fluent in Mandarin. He is also ranked in the richest person list from United States. And hopefully those last few references to the evils of miscegenation can soon be purged. Arent we missing that All are alike unto God? Christ Church, Oxford; Edit. At the risk of being a downer: there are still at least two places on lds.org with instructional materials containing a quote that members are encouraged to marry within their race. His mother's family were ethnic Chinese in Hawaii, while his father's family had lived in California and other parts of the United States after his ancestors had emigrated from China in the late 19th century. I had won the war in coming out but was left as broken as the battlefield.. He had a close almost familial relationship with de Jong and would refer to him as "Grandpa de Jong." Elder Gong said he and Sister Gong love being with the members in every place they have the privilege to go. Feel free to delete this comment after the edit.). The current government is becoming more repressive about such matters. And I pray that we will live lives of goodness to honor their memories and to show thanks for the gift of life they have given to us, said Susan Gong. Thanks, New Iconoclast. . [35] The church later announced that Gong, whose wife has ties to Taylorsville, Utah, would preside at the October 2020 groundbreaking for the temple in that city. Our hopes, ideologies, bigotries, boxes, traditions, and so many other human frailties stand in our way of knowing what God really wants for and from us that its sometimes seems a miracle to ever get it right. In movies, gays were victims, targets for bullies, or the sassy friend.. He has been a general authority since 2010 and served as a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy from October 2015 until his calling to . The fact that they are an interracial couple didnt even occur to em; I was just thrilled that there is finally some more international representation in the upper-most echelon. I dont know where his wife was born but with Susan as a first name I would assume she is American as well. #progress. Their address will be delivered at 1:30 p.m. MST. But the churchs mission is to reach throughout the world and serve people in their own languages, in their own cultures, and on their own terms without being destructive. Some of the activities include a throw-back photo challenge, family history Twister, family selfie station and a giant family tree. Elder Gong as a baby with his parents. Today, I love myself, scars and all, and I am awestruck by the simplicity at being happy, something I would never have believed possible in my younger years, says Gong, who shares an apartment with his longtime partner. My heart ached also for Elder Gong and Elder Soares as I realized that they too probably wonder if their call came from God or if they are token minorities in a corporation that has to factor in the opinions and philosophies of the world in its decision making. Gong had just been named an apostle. Hopefully Im not missing anyone, but I do not see that any of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve married Native American women. Elder Gong was with Elder Quentin L. Cook and Elder Gary E. Stevenson in Vietnam when the Church received official recognition. Elder Gong isnt part-anything. ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Benson, although its not incorrect to say the manuals (Kimball) advise caution, they go a little further than that in recommending/expressing preference for racially homogenous marriages. What Does the Parable of the Wheat and Tares Teach about the Apostasy? Steven J. Lund. The in-person Family Discovery Day event will also feature free classes, activities and access to the expo hall. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. Susan and Gerrit Gong (Church News photograph). Having a few interracial marriages in my extended family, Ive seen positive and negative consequences. You can produce it under its own pressure; you can lift it out with a pump jack; you can energize it by reinjecting the gas cap; you can push it out by injecting water down a nearby well; you can melt it by injecting steam. Blood. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Elder Gerrit W. Gong, the first Asian-American Apostle, is a faithful lifelong Church member. Although it is 2018 and one would hope the simple fact of an apostle in a interracial marriage wouldnt be abig dealanymore, it is. He had a close almost familial relationship with de Jong and would refer to him as "Grandpa de Jong." Its disingenuous to portray the Churchs historic concern with inter-racial marriages as a simple matter of possible incompatibility. He looks part white to me. Otherwise it would be hard for that person to win the confidence of the senior leadership. [23] Among his assignments while in the Presidency of the Seventy, Gong served on the Church Board of Education and Boards of Trustees, where he also served as a member of its executive committee. Until he was 10, Matt Gong, the familys fourth of four sons, lived in the Washington, D.C., area, where his dad worked at a policy think tank. Gong is hardly alone in such a feeling of being misplaced, of course, but his experience is unusual. Their children had a hard time in Korean schools because of the round eyes. Does that mean they never should have gotten married? Submitted on July 23, 2013. Come find your voice, your song, your harmony in Him. Contributed BySarah Jane Weaver, Church News editor. Reflecting the increasing diversity of the Church, Elder Gong became the first Asian-American Apostle, Elder Soares the first Apostle from South America. Elder Gong is a native born American citizen who grew up in America surrounded by Chinese culture at home and American culture in school and Northern California LDS culture at church and was raised by parents whose family trees are fully populated by people who were born in China. That isnt to say father and son agree on all things. Elder Gong has a Dutch first name, an American middle name (Walter after his father) and a Chinese last name . My wife is Japanese and Im Puerto Rican, whoop dee doo. Family history also encourages us to preserve our own experiences . Campus Research People Faith Family Past Issues. I am just grateful to know that this comes one day at a time and that when you are on the Lords errand, you receive the Lords help. Ill check on her. His known family tree is extensive (bless the tradition of Chinese family genealogy record-keeping) and is 100% Chinese. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build Gods kingdom by serving all of His children. I agree. I commented on another thread here how much I admire Sister Susan Gong. I agree that people should go into an interracial marriage being mindful of the challenges. It depends. Hemos detectado que ests en un navegador no compatible. In order to celebrate Elder Gong's birthday, here are some photos showing his life and ministry to Latter-day Saints around the world. I spent part of the weekend looking for synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong. As we discover our story, we connect, we belong, we become." 1. Shes everything one would hope for someone in that role. (And alsowhat Kevin said. The couple hosts grandkids camp every summer, which includes crafts and adventures, and loves to travel with their sons. Much of this post is good, though the backdrop of white supremacy is a bit much. That was later postponed indefinitely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The restored gospel is for every nation, kindred, and tongue. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. We were grateful others were excited for children to have creative opportunities. Elder Soares, a Brazillian, brings long-overdue representation from the southern hemisphere. There was almost no better realistic possibility than these two picks. He really desires with all his heart to build the kingdom and bless Heavenly Fathers children. As he said, "We each have a story.". Mental Health Minute: Who is Driving the Bus. Five Frameworks on Iraq. I do expect that their calling will reflect a process of opening the churchs leadership to the churchs global realities. For, say, a company whose mission is to suck oil out of the earth wherever possible, super-centralized leadership is not much of a problem; an organization like that just has to know how to focus its financial and political power like a laser, and acting at times like a steamroller is part of the game. I dont expect that these men will be cultural or political reformers. Maybe well get rid of those now. After Joseph's baptism, the Young brothers taught their family and friends in Canada and baptized over 150 individuals and established four branches of the church, including ones in Kingston and Sydenham. The LDS Brazilians I know are adamant that they are of European descent and that they are not Latino. Though Gongs relationship with his parents got off to a rocky start after he came out not for lack of love or rejection but for miscommunication they are now as close as ever and talk almost every week. LDS Church wants to light up a temple in a place that prides itself on dark skies, For husband-and-wife team, this new restaurant is the culmination of a decadeslong dream, Gong took his place for a lifetime appointment in the faiths Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, asked in 2018 if having a gay son had affected his views on LGBTQ. Three, he loves the Lord. (Sometimes the emphasis is on achieving a picture-perfect family which involves inflated egos, exclusiveness, feelings of superiority or inferiority, and other unChrist-like behaviors both inside and outside the family. Reading through all the comments has been interesting. And love that something so small an interracial marriage can yet be so huge for your family and for others. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasnt theirs. Very happy about these calls for all sorts of reasons; thanks for adding another very cogent one to the pile! @Felix, my understanding at least according to Wikipedia is that Elder Gong is the son of a Chinese-Immigrant-family-in-California father and a Chinese-immigrant-family-in-Hawaii mother. One Latter-day Saint seminary teacher kept trying to tell him he was Korean, because the instructor knew a Korean kid with a similar last name. Daily news, articles, videos and podcasts sent straight to your inbox. Below are three statements Elder Gong made about stories and some ideas about how you can rediscover your own. And definitely in Brazil Soares would be considered white. Im excited for Elder Soares calling as are my Brazilian friends in our ward here in Brazil. Thank you, Cynthia, for your poignant thoughts. . When asked in 2018 if having a gay son had affected his views on LGBTQ issues, the apostle replied, We love each member of our family. It will be another important step when we have the first woman of color wife of an apostle, the first black man, more examples of lives lived on more continents and in bodies with different abilities, anddare we hopethe first woman. Youve given me something to ponder this afternoon. That our interactions would be nitpicked to brand us as avatars of ideologies, Gong writes on a Facebook post. Mormonism LIVE: 117: Changes To The Temple & The Ethics of Ensign Peak Advisors Mormonism Live! Thoughts of not having that became unbearable, he says, and so he repressed them. Please come find your family, all your generations, and bring them home.". It was my biggest hope for the conference. [31][32][33][34], In early 2020, the church announced that Gong would preside at the November dedication of the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple, originally set to occur in mid-November. deductible, Report a missed paper by [email protected] calling801-237-2900, For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or [email protected]. Hi MB, Im really not the expert to speak on that. We need to love till we do not marginalize any of our Fathers children. Gerrit W. Gong is a famous Mormon leader. Hi Benson, we should definitely all come to the same interpretation of calling the view that a white woman marrying an Asian man is marrying down a white supremacist view. They will speak at Family . Big smiles in the Hedgehog home. His memory is foggy, but he says he woke up four hours later, lying on the floor. The thoughts expressed below are my authentic feelings. >:(. Gong reflects on September 11th and reviews perspectives on war. Also, only in the USA, would someone with Soaress phenotype be considered not white. Hes white everywhere else on the planet. Did the Utah Legislature do enough to save the Great Salt Lake? There are over a billion Chinese citizens, and we non-Chinese are forbididen by law from discussing religion with them. Elder Gong, whose ancestors left southern China in the late 19th century for work in the United States, was born into the Church. Ill investigate Rosana. (If they are, it will be a pleasant surprise.) Of his new assignment, Elder Gong said it was overwhelming to have President Nelson tenderly take my hands in his and extend a call to the apostleship. "Ours is a worldwide Church. BTW, given that oil often is found in strange places, experience and comfort with a wide range of cultures is a pretty big advantage. [22] While in the presidency of the Asia Area, Gong resided in Hong Kong but supervised the work of the LDS Church in all of continental East Asia except Korea, Taiwan, and all of Southeast Asia, except the Philippines and south Asia. Elder Gong said everywhere they go, people relate to Sister Gong. Was he Mexican? Members of Elder Gerrit W. Gongs family and the army of street children they enlisted to help them paint the scene stood back and examined the work. To read the full article on LDS.org, click here. The apostle choices here should be celebrated and I would say without much qualification for progressive mormons. He was born on December 23, 1953 and his birthplace is California, Redwood City California. Sister Gong is a compulsive gardener who loves to cook and bring people together. She has authored Chinese language childrens readers and was the first coordinator for Utahs Chinese language dual-immersion program. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint and brushes, something had shifted. It will always be Top down, not bottom up. I hope that we will each make an effort to discover our own family stories, to record them and to share them with our children and grandchildren. His first namesake is Gerrit de Jong, the patriarch of the family that Elder Gong's mother, Jean, lived with when she came to Brigham Young University as a recent convert to the Church. This means that Gong is the first member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in a multi-racial marriage. Did you hear Elder Oaks announce that 40% of.the GAs now have been born outside the US and then rattling off the countries? Four of my children have married half mixed spouses, two half Japanese and two half Hispanic in Utah. He witnessed how the Lord touched many different people in Vietnam. (See related story.) I buried land mines and razor wire in my brain so that my heart couldnt get out., If Gong hadnt come out, he says, I would have fought in the war till I died by suicide.. He served as an LDS Church missionary in Taiwan. (BTW its Brazilian with one l, not Brazillian with two. Da de descubrimiento familiar: lder y hermana Gong. I hope this new leader does indeed provide an example that normalizes your family to our fellow Saints! Currently, he is the fourteenth most senior apostle in the church.[6]. I thought the image was beautiful and so when I came out, I clung to the idea that I was somehow like the poppies.. And he never brought it up. Elder Gerrit W. Gong, the first Asian-American Apostle, is a faithful lifelong Church member. Sane liberals in the church dont have any illusions about their influence.). Recommended dish: Korean BBQ platter. I argued my doubts to a standstill and reclaimed my beliefs from where they lay.. Youd think wed try to start making trends on this issue as opposed to following them. It didnt matter if we agreed about everything; were still family. His mother, an avid gardener, once explained the difference between flowers and weeds. Such ties can bring help from the other side of the veil." Gerrit W. Gong We Each Have a Story "If you want a happier family, create, refine and retell the story of your family's positive moments and your ability to bounce back from the difficult ones. This is the very purpose for which God created the heavens and the earth and saw that they were good. My last post must have sounded like trolling as it has disappeared. they wondered. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. Im sorry youve had to deal with this racism, you are a beautiful couple!! Come join us on an international journey of connection and belonging at @Rootstech Family Discovery Day any time March 4 after 1:30 p.m. (MST). The Q15 are smart men, and they have an intellectual understanding of the churchs diversity, but culturally they are almost all the same: old white men from the Mormon Belt. Although reasonable latter-day saints have long, long since realized there is no place for any disapproval of marriage based on race, this is still a big deal. 2003 Apr 1;101(7):2850-7. As someone interested in the photographic impact of light, color, composition, and moment, Elder Gong imagines the childrenand others like them in Nepal, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Utahenjoying the space. Either way it helps us abide and grow. -Gerrit W. Gong. In doing so, he gave himself the chance to extend grace to his past selves. Is Elder Gong of mixed race? . Thanks for calling attention to the interracial marriage barrier being broken and what this can mean to many families. Citation Put On Thy Strength, O Zion. Work to make it different, but live in reality, too. But perhaps she was thinking of a 70 or something. INVITATION TO ACT: "We each have a story. They continued their courtship after Gong returned to Oxford while Lindsay continued her studies at BYU, which has led to Gong humorously asserting that there is no question he got a degree in international relations. Now as a newly sustained member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles he will share a different kind of light with Gods children throughout the world. Mormons across the globe cheered the /">appointment in March of two apostles who seemed to represent the faith's growing diversity</a> Gerrit W. Gong, a Chinese-American, and Ulisses Soares . Editors note If you or people you know are at risk of self-harm, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24-hour support at 1-800-273-8255. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. Family Discovery Day is a free event and will begin Saturday, March 4 at 1:30 PM, MDT. Im also the white half of an interracial marriage. The authors presentation assumes an intellectual supremacy that we all should come to the same interpretations.though I guess thats what opinions are. Members of Elder Gerrit W. Gongs family stand in front of a mural project with the children who assisted them in Vietnam. (Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo) He served as a member of the United States Department of Education's National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity and participated in multiple national education summits.[9]. He has deep credentials (both in church service and big worldly accomplishments), and he is born and bred American. He has been a general authority since 2010 and served as a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy from October 2015 until his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve in March 2018. Elder Gerrit W. Gong currently serves as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today we both celebrate andlook forward. He encouraged listeners to connect with ancestors and descendants in uniting God's family. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Sister Susan Gong will be the keynote speakers for Family Discovery Day on the final day of RootsTech, the global family history gathering taking place virtually and in person March 2-4, 2023. Gerrit W. Gong was born on 23 December, 1953 in Redwood City, California, United States, is a Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent. I hope that we will all gain greater appreciation for the struggles, courage, faith and sacrifice of those who have gone before. Lost touch so you can imagine my surprise to see his pic on BCC. Looking back, Gong sees plenty of clues to his sexuality that he failed to recognize at the time: Staring at a male underwear mannequin when he was a child. This is a big deal. And Fred, it is interesting to me your physiological response to their call. I confess Im a bit surprised that the OP is so vehemently opposed to suggestions of caution when approaching an interracial marriage. Shout out to Jusok. I believe inspiration comes to those who seek, as does revelation-like who to call to be apostles. [4] He also held the Freeman Chair in China studies and was later the Asia Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Both men and women of Asian descent in the US face a media and social stereotype of being more submissive, passive, and infantilized. All quotes by Gerrit W. Gong and in blue (unless otherwise noted). His mother met the missionaries as a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii. Elder Gerrit W. Gong, newly sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, in Salt Lake City. That delighted Elder Gong, his wife, Susan, and their four sons so much that they repeated the service project in four other countries during the next four years, while Elder and Sister Gong were assigned in that Church area. Johnif all are alike unto God, then you should expect that there are people worthy to be apostles from all racial backgrounds, not just one. As a missionary in Taiwan. Enter your email address to follow BCC and receive new posts by email. Never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. . But its something a couple should acknowledge and prepare for. (For more reading on this, seehere,here, and here.). Photo courtesy of the Gong family. Copyright Daily Herald | www.heraldextra.com | 1200 Towne Centre Blvd. As of June 2018, he was serving as chair of the church's Scriptures Committee (which, among other things, oversees the translation of the scriptures) and as a member of the Leadership and Training Committee, the Priesthood and Family Executive Council, and the Outreach Committee. John. People dont know their own blind spots until theyre pointed out to them. I suspect that beneath much of the positive chatter Im hearing about these two appointments is the belief that these men will somehow bring more than just racial diversity to church government. Having people who know about petroleum extraction is always useful! He was called to London on a Mandarin-speaking mission in 2011. Cannot load blog information at this time. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his wife, Susan, have rich family histories from Hawaii and Ireland. As part of RootsTech 2023, Elder David A. Bednar and Elder Gerrit W. Gong will provide instruction to stake and ward leaders in the annual Temple and Family History Leadership Instruction. :). [27][28][29][30], In November 2019, Gong presided over a worldwide broadcast that announced the LDS Church's new youth program. I confronted and broke down the lies I had been told about what it means to be queer. Were an international church, and the PTB clearly have worked hard to get our leadership profile to more closely mirror that reality. On Buzzlearn.com, Gerrit is listed as a successful leader who was born in the year of 1953. Im sorry to hear this, but grateful that I was raised in the 50s to 70s by open minded, faithful Mormon parents, for which I am grateful for every day. 37 Views. Acompaa al lder Gerrit W. Gong, del Curum de los Doce Apstoles, y a su esposa, la hermana Susan Lindsay Gong, en un viaje internacional de descubrimiento familiar. At that moment you feel very humble, but you are certain in your confidence and love for President Nelson as the Lords prophet and Church President. When the family moved to Utah, the young Gong found himself in a much more homogeneous community with a dominant culture, he says, where his peers and teachers werent exactly sure about his ethnicity. On my mission, I learned that the first things to grow on the battlefields of France after World War I, were poppies, blood-red poppies, Gong tells the Affirmation virtual audience. Fred: and that is the value of diversity, across every possible category. This expressed so much of the happiness I feel today. Revelation: 2 Love your family. I will update the post as I get further information. Gerrit Walter Gong (born December 23, 1953) is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Weve always been struck by the enthusiasm and skill of children who come together to beautify their environment, Elder Gong said. Factor does not mean negative or positive it just is. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/black-in-latin-america/featured/black-in-latin-america-full-episode-brazil-a-racial-paradise/224/. Term ended by removal of apostleship; was later excommunicated. It is our fervent hope and prayer that someday soon the Lord will open the way for the spread of the gospel here in China. Patterns of Discipleship. [26], In May 2019, Gong and his wife accompanied Russell M. Nelson and his wife on a ministry tour to the Pacific region. By Emily Ashcraft, KSL.com | Posted - Feb. 27, 2023 at 5:46 p.m. Elder Gerrit W. Gong and Sister Susan Gong will be the keynote speakers for Family Discovery Day at RootsTech on Saturday. Y Magazine is published four times a year by Brigham Young University for graduates and friends. 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